Halifax International Security Forum (HISF)

Situation

The Halifax International Security Forum (HISF) is dedicated to strengthening the strategic cooperation among democracies by bringing together top leaders to discuss threats, challenges and trends related to global security.

HISF takes place annually in Halifax, Nova Scotia in mid-November. The event attracts over 300 of the world's political, defense and foreign affairs leaders, as well as leading experts from private sector industries and academia.

In an effort to establish HISF as the world's leading international security forum, HISF recognized the value of traditional media relations, especially across the US national security, foreign policy and defense markets. HISF approached Sage to recruit top-tier publications from each space to attend the annual event and secure awareness and name recognition through media opportunities. These opportunities include highlighting the Forum before and after the event, and through onsite interviews with participating attendees of the Forum.

Our Strategy

For each annual iteration of the Forum, Sage develops tailored messaging, pursues outreach strategies, and engages traditional media to secure media attendance, placement of contributed articles, and pre-Forum interviews with HISF leadership. Through these efforts, Sage is able to secure between 15-20 US-based media to attend the event. We also place contributed pieces and pre-interviews, whose frequency varies based on available content for that year’s event.

To reach quality media, Sage cultivates relationships with members of the national security, policy and defense verticals through insight into the topics of conversation and information about the Forum's VIP attendees. Sage saturates this media with coverage stemming from and around the Forum across verticals by researching journalists and coordinating high-profile interviews.

Results

Sage has consistently demonstrated success in securing media attendance and garnering media coverage for HISF across each vertical. Our team secured 73 unique media placements and more than 200 pieces (including syndicated content) in broadcast, print, and online outlets, including a live interview on CNBC and features in CBS News, FOX News, POLITICO, and Reuters. In addition to coverage resulting from the event, Sage secured 22 members of the US media to attend the event and staffed more than 70 onsite interviews. Sage also secured three pre-Forum interviews and placed two contributed pieces for HISF leadership.